Re: Azja - jesień 2015 (bez Pekinu)
: 03 paź 2015, 14:30
autor: Lucas
NAO HIBINO WINS FIRST TITLE IN TASHKENT
http://www.wtatennis.com/news/article/5 ... n-tashkent
Spoiler:
The Tashkent Open has had a slew of former Top 20 players as champions - Anna Smashnova, Iroda Tulyaganova, Nicole Vaidisova, Shahar Peer - and the next star may have been born this year, as unheralded Japanese Nao Hibino went all the way to her first WTA title.
Having reached the second round of the Japan Women's Open Tennis in Tokyo two weeks ago, Hibino was playing just the second WTA main draw of her career in Tashkent this week, but she didn't drop a set the entire week, and that pattern continued in an all-WTA Rising Star final against Donna Vekic.
With the title on the line Hibino was on top from start to finish, ripping her flat, penetrating groundies to perfection against Vekic, drawing one last forehand into the net from the Croat to prevail, 6-2, 6-2.
And just like she crushed her groundstrokes, Hibino crushed the trophy acceptance speech.
"Hello everyone, and thank you for coming today!" the 20-year-old from Aichi said.
"First of all I want to congratulate Donna - you've done really great this week, and good luck to you for the rest of the year. I'd also like to thank the sponsors for helping enable this tournament to happen, the tournament staff, ballkids and referees for their contribution to making the tournament better every day, and of course I would really like to thank my coach for supporting me all week in Tashkent.
"The peaceful atmosphere and kind people made my stay in Tashkent great this year. I'm so happy to win the first WTA title of my career here in Tashkent, and I really hope I can come back next year!"
Hibino is the 10th Japanese player ever to win a WTA title after Kazuko Sawamatsu, Etsuko Inoue, Kumiko Okamoto, Naoko Sawamatsu, Kimiko Date-Krumm, Mana Endo, Ai Sugiyama, Akiko Morigami and Kurumi Nara. Date-Krumm has the most WTA titles of them all - she's won eight in her career.
The doubles final took place earlier and saw No.2 seeds Margarita Gasparyan and Alexandra Panova outdo unseeded pair Vera Dushevina and Katerina Siniakova in a match tie-break, 6-1, 3-6, 10-3.
It was Gasparyan and Panova's second WTA doubles title together - they won another International event in Baku in the summer. Gasparyan now has two WTA doubles titles to her name, Panova six.
Having reached the second round of the Japan Women's Open Tennis in Tokyo two weeks ago, Hibino was playing just the second WTA main draw of her career in Tashkent this week, but she didn't drop a set the entire week, and that pattern continued in an all-WTA Rising Star final against Donna Vekic.
With the title on the line Hibino was on top from start to finish, ripping her flat, penetrating groundies to perfection against Vekic, drawing one last forehand into the net from the Croat to prevail, 6-2, 6-2.
And just like she crushed her groundstrokes, Hibino crushed the trophy acceptance speech.
"Hello everyone, and thank you for coming today!" the 20-year-old from Aichi said.
"First of all I want to congratulate Donna - you've done really great this week, and good luck to you for the rest of the year. I'd also like to thank the sponsors for helping enable this tournament to happen, the tournament staff, ballkids and referees for their contribution to making the tournament better every day, and of course I would really like to thank my coach for supporting me all week in Tashkent.
"The peaceful atmosphere and kind people made my stay in Tashkent great this year. I'm so happy to win the first WTA title of my career here in Tashkent, and I really hope I can come back next year!"
Hibino is the 10th Japanese player ever to win a WTA title after Kazuko Sawamatsu, Etsuko Inoue, Kumiko Okamoto, Naoko Sawamatsu, Kimiko Date-Krumm, Mana Endo, Ai Sugiyama, Akiko Morigami and Kurumi Nara. Date-Krumm has the most WTA titles of them all - she's won eight in her career.
The doubles final took place earlier and saw No.2 seeds Margarita Gasparyan and Alexandra Panova outdo unseeded pair Vera Dushevina and Katerina Siniakova in a match tie-break, 6-1, 3-6, 10-3.
It was Gasparyan and Panova's second WTA doubles title together - they won another International event in Baku in the summer. Gasparyan now has two WTA doubles titles to her name, Panova six.